Day 15 | Why buy it when you can make it?

A couple of days ago, Brit mentioned that I am making homemade almond milk. Almond milk has been my family’s most recent obsession. The kids are still cow milk drinkers, but Jason and I have both have switched to solely almond milk. Simply, we just prefer it.

Thinking that we were making a healthy decision, it was a little shocking to me when we began the Daniel Plan and I actually read the label (for the first time).

Definitely does not fit the rule of five ingredients or less and all of them pronounceable. The ingredient list begins innocently enough: Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds), but then it continues and includes Natural Flavors and Gellan Gum. I have never, ever used gellan gum in my cooking and have no idea what it is. Natural flavors? So really anything, right? Why didn’t the ingredient list stop at Almondmilk?

I decided to make my own. I’ve been doing this with many prepackaged foods and once I’ve made something, I never go back to the grocery supplied food again. I think that the same is true with almond milk. The process is incredibly easy and the end result is delicious. Usually, this is a great way to cut costs, too!

Step 4. Strain liquid from blender into a bowl (I used a strainer and cheesecloth). Once most liquid is strained, squeeze cheesecloth to get any excess liquid into bowl.

Step 5. Flavor almond milk with honey, agave, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, or whatever works for you. Or don’t flavor it at all.

6. Enjoy!

I was surprised with an added bonus at the end – almond meal! All of that almond paste left in the cheesecloth is almond meal! Absolutely nothing goes to waste in this process! Not sure what to do with your almond meal? Don’t worry! I found this blog post with some wonderful ideas! My favorite is using it for baking, especially for muffins. She even tells you how to dry it and freeze it for longevity. I’m already dreaming of oatmeal applesauce muffins with a little kick of almond meal for added flavor and texture. Yum!

What do you make and love way more than store bought? I’d love to hear!

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